Laundry marking pin holder



Jan. 27, 1942. H. HIRSCH r-rrm.

LAUNDRY-MARKING PIN HOLDER Filed May 9, 1941 $N. R m v o n T N mm m n\ Q vm A u RD Patented Jan. 27, 1942 G. Rees, Meri'den, Conn., assignors to: G; A, Braun, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a. corporationof Illinois Application May 9, 1941, Serial No. 392,612

18 Claims.

This invention relates in general to marking and identifying devices for sorted and classified articles and especially to devices for holding the markers.

More particularly the invention comprises a' new and useful pin carrier in the form of a laundry marking pin holder for keeping ready and in place a supply of numbered marking pins of the safety type in general use by commercial laundries. and the like for performing What is known as pinning-out the laundry work pieces and reassembling them where the work of a oustomer necessarily becomes separated and sometimes commingled with other customers work incident to the laundering operations.

Conventional practice requires that the numbered marking pin of the safety type now in general use have its point or prong shut or closed into the guard carried on the shank of the pin and that the closed safety pin be replaced in the pin holder ready for use on the next customers bundle or any other marking operation. A pin holder rack will accommodate a supply of like-numbered safety pins, say one or two dozen, in order that an operator may have sufficient pins of like number to assign and attach a separate pin to each piece of work belonging to the particular customer whose laundry is being sorted and classified. At such time the pin must of course be open in order that it may be stuck through the fabric and snapped closed to mark that work piece for future identity and reassembly into the customers laundry bundle. I

Closing the sharp-end prong of the safety pin into its guard and then opening it again preparatory to use thereof, consumes time, and this invention deals with the problem of saving that time by permitting the operator to replace the safety pins on the respective racksv r holders without closing them. Leaving the safety pins open at all times in accordance with this invention, except when in actual marking use, saves much timein the routine work of laundry opera-- tors as well as saving them the thumb and finger strain and wear incident to interminably shutting and opening the pins.

Representative prior art, say Hirsch U. S. Letters Patent 1,817,821 issued August 4,1931, and also 1,926,946 issued September 12, 1933, explain conventional practice andthe utility of the wellknown numbered safety pins used in commercial laundries and like institutions for identifying and pinning-out the work. Each numbered pin is closed after being detached from its finished work piece and before placing the pin out of the way on its numbered holder rack, and must then be opened again when takenfrom the rack for use on the next job. That old practice thusly involves two hand operations not contributing to actual utility and hence is lost motion. This invention eliminates that loss of time and manual effort. Y

A main object of the invention is to produce a holder or rack, for the numbered marking pins,

which safety and conveniently holds the open pins with their sharp points left open in a housing or guard which prevents the points from pricking an operators hands and fingers when picking up the rack and carrying it about theplace for use at the sorting table and other locations in a laundry, as for example, at the wet assembly or at the packing table, etc., for a variety of pin-' marking operations. 3

A further object is to produce a new constructionin a, pin holder, which protectively encloses the open points of the pins when not in use and without concealing them, embodying a movable pin carrier or rack which may be readily pulled part way from a housing, in order that one open safety pin at a time can be removed from the rack for use and thereafter be restored while the pin is still open, thereby saving the operator the two manual operations (pin opening and closing) now practiced and multiplied by the number of pins handled in a given time.

A further object is to produce a safety pin holder having a smooth exterior form of convenient size readily adapted to be held in the hand and safely carried when an operator detaches it from a wall bracket or picks it up to be carried tothe sorting table or other place in the laundry for pinning-out and'other marking operations.

Withjthe foregoing and other objects in view, the invention finds its origin in the discovery and appreciation of certain problems and needs arising in the pinning-out and number marking operations performed on laundry work for the subsequent identification thereof, hence the provision of this new pin holder construction to fill such need, as herein described and-shown in the accompanying drawing illustrative of the principle of the invention and an example of one satisfactory form of construction made thereunder.

The accompanying drawing shows the device in actual size, that is, the presentexample of the invention as produced for marking laundry work. The invention lends itself .to other uses and its size may vary, depending upon the size of the markers carried in the holder, such as the numbered safety pin now in general use or any other form of labelled or numbered marking tag or pin.

Figure 1 shows a top view of the pin holder; Figure 2 shows a side elevation projected therefrom; and Figure 3 is a bottom projection thereof. a

Figure 4 shows a front View of the pin holder projected downwardly from Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a sectional side view taken along the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is similar to the previus view but presented as a position view to illustrate the pin rack in an unstable state and in motion (full lines) being swung outwardly by the operator toward full-out position (dot-and-dash lines) in order that he may either remove or restore the open safety pins to the selective keying stem means of the device.

Figure '7 is a section along the line 7-4 of Figure 6 through the pin rack arm looking forward between the housing walls of the device.

According to the foregoing, the first five views show the pin holder in normally closed position with the row of open pin prongs covered and guarded by an enclosing housing to protect your hands when holding the device. Nevertheless, the safety pins are in full view so the operator may read the numbers thereon.

A commercial laundry equips itself with a supply of these new pin holders, each of which bears its number stamped thereon by the manufacturer of the holder, say beginning with number 1 and running consecutively upward. For example, the pin holder shown in the drawing is numbered 8 at one or more places, so as readily to be seen by the operator. Likewise, each pin belonging to this number 8 holder also bears that same numher, so that the supply of safety pins related to the pin holder rack 8 are thusly indicated for it and will not fit any other holder of difierent'numher. The general plan of pinning out the work with numbered pins belonging to a like numbered holder, to enable an operator to accurately reassemble a customers finished work, is well known. However, the pin holder herein described is believed new and it very greatly enhances the utility of the present marking practice involving the use of numbered pins. V g

It will be seen in the drawing that the housing of this device has t wo side walls E0 of rectangular form made integral with'a rear wall I]. The housing piece H], H is of general U-shaped form in cross section and may be fashioned by drawing it from a Single sheet metal blank.

The parallel side walls 'are spaced apart a dis 'tance about equal to the spread of a conventional size numbered marking pin P when it is in open position, that is, with its prong free from its closure guard on the end opposite to its wellknown numbered key-system'periorated disk seen to be number 8 in the drawing. The top, the bottom and front of the housing l0, i I are open, the top and front being necessarily so for access to the safety pin rack, as later explained.

It is well to provide a perforated hang-up ear l2 at the upper end of the rear wall H in order that the device may be placed on a wall hook if desired and be out of the way when not in use. Likewise, a hang-up loop l3 and supporting hook or bracket 14 are provided on the rear wall I l of the housing. The loop l3 may be stuck-up or drawn outfrom the housing, but it can as well be made from a separately stamped piece as shown, and it is then joined with the housing I I, as by perforation and in-turned ear means or by spot welding. Thus, the loop [3 provides an open vertical channel between it and the housing wall II for the reception of the hook M, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. The hook l4 comprises a strap centrally offset (Figures 1 and 2) in order that its lower end may be anchored to the wall of a building by screws and its upper end have clearance to slidably receive the loop it.

A pair of complementary safety pin stops [5, in the nature of in-turned ears, are formed on the top rear portions of the two parallel edges of the side walls It. These ears 15 act as limiting stops to prevent the removable marking pins from sliding or dropping off the keying stems of the pin rack and falling out of the housing when the device is being carried and handled by an operator or thrown on a table, preliminary to withdrawing the pins therefrom for use.

The housing H), H carries an in-turned ear forming a seat or stop ll located at the lower end of the rear housing wall II. This part I! may be an integral extension of the rear wall H and it stands inside between the housing walls I!) perpendicular to the rear wall. This stop ll, within the lower rear part of the housing, serves the double purpose of acting as a down-stop for a movable pin rack and as a seat for an upwardly pressing spring, as will be explained.

A spring-and-cam bearing or rivet pin I8 is fixed in the central lower end of the two spaced housing walls I0 and spans the space therebetween. A cam plate [9 has its rear end pivotally carried on the bearing pin i8 between the two parallel housing walls I9, and the front end of this cam plate is turned up at 20 to form a flange in the nature of a keeper to retain in place a pivoted pin rack, as later explained. The swinging cam plate I9 fills the space between the walls l0 and has up-and-down operating clearance therebetween. Thus the cam plate closes the bottom front portion of the housing.

The rear end of the cam plate I9 is punched out (Figure 3) to form of a yoke or two rear spaced arms whose ends are curled or wrapped around the pin [8 as a bearing. Thus the front end of the cam plate can tilt up and down between the housing walls around the bearing pin 18 as a center. A torque spring is coiled from wire and mounted on the bearing pin l8 between the parallel rear arms of the cam plate I9. The spring has one end 2i which extends rearwardly and seats stationary against the bottom surface of the stop I! and another end 22 which extends forwardly and yieldably engages upwardly against the bottom surface of the cam plate l9.

Accordingly, it will be seen that the wrap or coil of the spring, formed centrally of the two spring arms or ends 2| and 22, is mounted freely on the pin l8 within the space existing between the yoke or bearing arms at the rear of the pivoted cam plate Hi. This spring 2!, 22 is so set and adjusted that the stop I! retains the rear spring end 2| in stationary position, while the front spring end 22 resiliently presses upwardly against the cam plate l9. As a result of this combination, the downward movement of the front end of the cam plate I9 (Figure 6) imparts a wrap to the spring coil thus energizing or loading it on the pin l8, and the torque reaction therefrom is forward through the front spring 22 and upwardly against the cam plate. This action of the spring maintains the cam plate in upwardly'pressed position.

.A second bearing or rivet pin 24 is anchored in the housing walls I!) at the front lower corner thereof. This pin spans the distance between the parallel walls and is shouldered thereinto to anchor the walls in spaced relation against strain or deflection incident to use when handling the device. A rack base or arm 25 has its front end pivotally mounted on the pin bearing 24 and is pressed upwardly by the cam plate [9 engaging the bottom of said arm beyond its piv ot 24. Y

The rear end of the rack arm 25 carries a block 26 as an integral part thereof, and this block afiords body and stock to firmly receive a keying stem. means on which is strung the numbered safety pins, later explained. Inasmuch as the rack arm 25 is shown here as being stamped and drawn from sheet metal, in the form of an inverted channel piece, the rear block 26 is preferably a separate piece sweated or soldered in position to integrate it with the rear end of the rack arm.

The front end of the rack arm 25 is provided with complementary up-curved hook means 27 forming an open-sided hearing which partially embraces the bearing pin 24 from the front. This bearing hook or journal 21 is axially duplicated in each down-turned side wall or flange of the inverted channel arm 25 so as to provide two spaced bearings on the rack arm pin 24. The width of this inverted channel piece 25, with its parallel down-turned flanges (Figure 7) in each of which is provided a rearwardly directed hook.

21, is about equal to the spacing of the two housing side Walls [0.

The construction of the two axially aligned journal bearings 21, partially wrapping around the journal pin 24, leaves the top side of said pin free, that is, not engaged. The arch of the hook 21 provides a slot, the configuration of which is the counterpart shape of said hook; this construction is duplicated in alignment within each down-turned parallel side flange of the channelled arm 25. The result is that the arm 25 can be readily removed and replaced on the pin 24. By prying down on the front end of the cam plate l9 to retract it from engagement with the front end of the arm 25, the latter can be withdrawn and replaced on the pin 24.

There is little or no likely need for ever removing the arm 25 from the housing 10, but this hooked bearing means 21 is an important feature related to manufacture and ease in assemblying the device. This is true since the housing [0, as well as the rack arm 25 with its related parts, can be made separately as two sub-assemblies and inspected, whereupon they are snapped together. When the front end of the arm 25 snaps down in position behind the cam plat-e keeper 29, the assembly is complete and cannot come apart. This important assembly feature cures the difficulty otherwise encountered in having to mount the pin 24 at the last moment and thus perform machine and riveting work on finished and adjusted parts to the disadvantage and detriment thereof.

The front end of the rack arm 25 is closed by a wall 28 integrally formed with the sheet metal body thereof and turned down in abutting relation against the front edges of the two parallel side flanges of said arm. Thus it is seen that the block 26 at one end and the wall plate 28 at the other end makes a closed-end channel arm of rigid form. Also, it will be seen that the front wall 28 and the two bearing hooks 21 form a camming line the width of the channel arm 25 gagement. l

The rack arm 25 has its rear end 26 free to swing upwardly about the pin 24 as an axis and the front end 28 cams or levers downwardly against the spring loaded plate l9. It is important to note that the cam plate l9, energized by the spring 2|, 22, resiliently maintains the rack arm in either one of two stable positions, either horizontal (Figure 5) by engaging the bottom edge of the wall plate end 28 or vertical (Figure 6 dot-and-dash lines) by engaging the flat-end face of said plate 28. In between these two positions, the arm 25 is unstable because the spring loaded cam plate I9 is urging it one direction or another, depending upon whether the operator is pushing the rack'arm in or out.

A safety pin receiving stem or stems 29 have theinner or lower ends thereof anchored in the rear end block 26 perpendicular to the arm 25 and extend therefrom in parallel relation. The outer ends of the stem 29, when swung inside the housing II], are just about even or flush with the pair of pin stop ears l5 and are grouped centrally therebetween. The two stop ears l5 are then in looking alignment over the pin-track of the stem means 29 which affords a track on which the usual type of numbered safety pin P is slidably carried. The two stops l5 are seen to be spaced apart so that the operators forefinger or thumb can engage the outer front or free ends of the stems 29 (usually four) for tilting the pin rack 25, 29 forwardly, as shown in Figure 6, in and out of the housing H3, in order that one safety pin P at a time may be withdrawn from the retaining stems 29.

When the safety pin rack 25, 29 is tilted back in normally closed position, the guarded safety pins P with points open cannot slide or fall off from their retaining stem means 29 because the pins are locked on by the stop cars which overlie the pins, as shown. Thus the device can be picked up and carried from place to place and dropped on a table without the open pins P coming off. The open sharp points of the pins are well covered by the housing I8 and cannot prick the operators hand.

The spring-loaded cam plate [9 operates in effect like a spring actuated toggle and resiliently holds or latches the pin rack 25, 29'with its open pins back in the housing ID in concealed position and similarly 'h'olds steady the rack in outward stationary position to make the stems 29 available for withdrawing or replacing open pins P.

From the foreging, it is to be seen that the pin track or stem means 29 may approximate the vertical length of the housing H1 or the rear closing portion of the wall II and normally stands parallel thereto. Also, the pin rack assembly 25, 29 undergoes a ninety degree swing in order to bring the bottom or inner ends of the pin-carrier stems 29 forwardly to an out position flush with the front vertical edges defining the open front of the housing ID. The

stems, therefore, are fully projected from the to the top of the stems and right up to the ears It is understood in the art how the pin-receiving track or stems 29 of particular selective crosssectional shapes are adapted to key or match with exactness the perforations in the disk body 8 of the numbered pins P to constitute an accurate combination keying system. The system prevents an operator from erring because he must match the numbered pin with the numbered rack, that is, rack number 8 will only receive pin number 8. That keying system for the pins is shown here for the purpose of explaining this new pin h'older adapted thereto, but only brief reference to the keying system has appeared necessary. 7

This invention is presented to fill a need for a useful laundry marking pin holder. It is understood that various modifications in construction, operation and use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention, and that this disclosure and appended claims are descriptive of the principles but not limited to the present embodiment of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for marking devices comprising, in combination, a housing of U-shaped form in cross section, a rack movably mounted therein and on which a plurality of removable and replaceable marking devices are adapted to be carried, and means provided on the housing for positively holding the marking devices on the rack when said rack is in one position and for releasing said marking devices so they may be removed from said rack when the latter is in another position.

2. A holder for marking devices comprising, in combination, a housing of U-shaped form in cross section which is open at the top and front portions thereof, a rack pivotally mounted in the housing and on which a supply of removable and replaceable marking devices are adapted to be carried, and stop means for positively holding the marking devices in place within the housing when the rack is in one position and for releasing said marking devices so they may be removed from said rack when the latter is in another position.

3. A holder for marking devices comprising, in

combination, a housing of U-shaped form in cross section, a rack including stern means having one end movably mounted in the housing and on which a plurality of marking devices are adapted to be carried, the other end of the stem means being free in order that marking devices be removed and replaced thereon, stop means provided on the housing for positively holding the marking devices on the rack when its stem means is in aligned position with said stop means and for releasing said marking devices when the latter is moved out of aligned position.

4. A holder for safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing formed with parallel side walls and a rear wall open at the front and top thereof, a stem having one end pivotally mounted in the housing with the other end of the stem free to swing out and into said housing through the open front thereof, said stem being adapted as means to removably carry a plurality of safety pins slidably retained thereon between the parallel side walls, and stop means on the open top of the housing between which the free end of the stem swings and under which the safety pins are aligned to lock them on the stem.

5. A holder for safety pins comprising, in com-- bination, a housing formed with parallel side walls and a rear wall open at the front and top thereof, a stem having its lower end pivotally mounted in the lower end of the housing with the other end of the stem extending upwardly and terminating substantially even or flush with the top open end of said housing and being free to swing out and into said housing, said stem being adapted as track means to removably carry a plurality of safety pins slidably retained thereon between the parallel side walls; and a pair of spaced stop means on the open top of the housing, between which the upper free end of the stem swings, under which the safety pins are aligned to retain them on the stem track, and between which is sufficient space for an operators finger to engage the free end of stem and pull it away from the stop means.

6. A holder for safety pins comprising, in comhination, a housing formed with parallel side walls and a rear wall open at the front and top thereof, stem means having one end pivotally mounted in the housing and its other end free to swing out and into said housing through the open front thereof, said stem being adapted as means to removably carry a plurality of safety pins slidably retained thereon between the parallel side walls, stop means on the housing at its open top between which the free end of the stem swings and under which the safety pins are aligned to lock them on the stem; and springloaded means cooperating with the stem means for latching same in stable stationary position in the housing and out of the housing, as Well for applying force to said stem means when in motion between said two stationary positions.

'7. A holder for open safety pins comprising, in combination, suitable pin keying-stem means adapted to carry a supply of safety pins, an arm upon which one end of the keying stem means is anchored, and a housing in which the arm is pivotally carried to tiltably mount the keyingstern means for movement in and out of the housing.

8. A holder for open safety pins comprising, in combination, suitable pin keying-stem means adapted to carry a supply of safety pins, an arm upon which one end of the keying-stem means is anchored, a housing in which the arm is pivotally carried to tiltably mount the keying-stem means for movement in and out of the housing, and torque spring means carried by the housing in cooperative relation with the pivoted arm and applying force thereto for holding the keying-stem means in stable position either outside or inside the housing and unstable when in an intermediate position.

9. A holder for open safety pins comprising, in combination, suitable pin keying-stem means adapted to carry a supply of safety pins, an arm upon which one end of the keying-stem means is anchored, a housing in which the arm is pivotally carried to tiltably mount the keying-stem means for movement in and out of the housing, and a spring-loaded cam plate carried by the housing in operative engagement with the pivoted arm to load it for yielding to manual operation.

10. A safety pin rack adapted to carry a supply of open-prong pins comprising, in combination, a housing of general rectangular shape having parallel side walls spaced apart about equal to the spread of an open safety pin and having a rear closing wall and an open front, pin carrier stem means mounted back in the housing adjacent and parallel to the rear wall and approximating the length thereof, the upper end of the stem means being free to receive and dispense pins, and a movable member mounted in the lower part of the housing with the lower end of the stem means anchored thereto, thus adapting the upper end of the stem means for movement in and out of the housing through its open front.

, 11. A safety pin rack adapted to carry a supply of open-prong pins comprising, in comb-ination, a housing of general rectangular shape having parallel side walls spaced apart about equal to the spread of an open safety pin and having a rear closing wall and an open front, pin carrier stem means mounted back in the housing adjacent and parallel to the rear wall and approximating the length thereof, the upper end of the stem means being free to receive and dispense pins, an arm mounted in the lower part of the housing with the lower ends of the stem means fixed therein, and a bearing pin supported in the housing walls on which the front portion of the arm is pivoted, thereby adapting the upper end of the stem means to be projected out through the open front ofthe housing.

12. A safety pin rack adapted to carry a supply of open-prong pins comprising, in combination, a housing of general rectangular shape having parallel side walls spaced apart about equal to the spread of an open safety pin and having a rear closing wall and an open front, pin carrier stem means mounted back in the housing ad jacent and parallel to the rear wall and approximating the length thereof, the upper end of the stem means being free to receive and dispense pins, an arm pivotally mounted at its front end in the lower part of the housing inxa position substantially perpendicular to the rear wall of the housing, and the lower end of the stem means anchored in the rear, end of the arm thereby adapting said stem means to be tilted outwardly through the open front of the housing into a position substantially perpendicular to the rear wall.

13. A safety pin rack adapted to carry a supply of open-prong pins comprising, in combination, a housing of general rectangular shape having parallel side walls spaced apart about equal to the spread of an open safety pin and having a rear closing wall and an open front, pin carrier stem means mounted back in the housing adjacent and parallel to the rear wall and approximating the length thereof, the upper end of the stem means being free to receive and dispense pins; and a pivoted member carried within'the lower part of the housing, in which the lower end of the stem means is anchored, disposed perpendicular to the rear wall of said housing for holding open pins inside the housing, and swingable into position parallel to the open front of the housing for disposing the stem means perpendicular to the rear wall to project the stem means out through said open front.

14. A holder for open safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing having parallel walls with an open front, pin carrying stem means adapted to receive and dispense open safety pins; and a mounting member carried by the housing and'supporting the stem means for movement in and out of the housing at its open front, so arranged and constructed that the lower end of the stem means moves into flush position with the open front of the housing so the last pin on the stem means can be removed.

15. A holder for open safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing having parallel walls with an open front, pin carrying stem means adapted, to receive and dispense open safety pins; a mounting member carried by the housing and supporting the stem means for movement in and out of the housing at its open front, so arranged and constructed that the lower end of the stem means moves into flush position with the open front of the housing so the last pin on the stem means can be removed; and stop means on the housing tothe rear and above its open,

front into alignment with which the stem means is movable for positively holding .the open pins when not in use.

16. A device for holding safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing in which is carried pin-receiving stem means, an arm on which is anchored one end of the stem means, the other'end being free to receive and dispense pins, a pivot pin fixed in the housing, an opensided bearing formed in the arm by which it is placed in operative position on the fixed pivot pin; and a spring-loaded device operatively carried in the housing, cooperating with the arm to apply yielding force thereto for holding it in stationary position, as well as for urging it to,

said stationary position.

17. A device for holding safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing in which is carried pin-receiving stem means, an arm on which is anchored one of the stem means, the other end being free to receive and dispense pins, a pivot pin fixed in the housing, an open-sided bearing formed in the arm by which it is placed of the arm against the cam plate brings the flat surface of said arm into engagement with the cam plate to yieldingly'hold said arm in another position. 1

18. A device for holding safety pins comprising, in combination, a housing in which is carried pin-receiving stem means, an arm on which is anchored one end of the stem means, the other end being free to receive and dispense pins, a pivot pin fixed in the housing, an open-sided bearing formed in the arm by which it is placed in operative position on the fixed pivot pin; a spring-loaded cam plate pivotally carried in the housing, exerting yieldable pressure against the arm thereby maintaining it on the pivot pin against displacement in one direction, and a keeper cooperating with the arm and the cam plate for maintaining said arm'on the pivot pin against displacement in another direction.

HENRY HIRSCH.

FREDERICK G, REES. 

